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He squandered their fortunes and ruined their lives, forcing retired seniors to go back to work — and even to scavenge through trash for food — and yesterday, his victims lashed back at Bernie Madoff, calling him a “true beast” and a “monster.”

Madoff “discarded me like roadkill,” said Miriam Siegman, of Manhattan, who was one of nine victims to give impact statements at the fraudster’s sentencing in Manhattan federal court.

Siegman, 65, who uses a walker, said she lost 40 years of savings and now lives on a monthly $800 Social Security check. “I manage on food stamps,” she said. “At the end of the month, I sometimes scavenge in Dumpsters.

Siegman said she even collects empty cans and redeems them for their nickel deposits. “I live with fear. It strikes me at all hours. It is only a matter of time before I will not be able to meet my basic needs,” she said.

Several of the victims raised their voices. Others broke down in tears.

Sheryl Weinstein, a Manhattan accountant who was a friend of Madoff’s, said the scammer was successful because he seemed normal. “But underneath the facade is a true beast,” she said. “He should not be given the opportunity to blend so seamlessly into our society again.”

Carla Hirshhorn, of Manalapan, NJ, said her “life has been a living hell.”

“It feels like the nightmare we can’t wake from,” she added

She said her mother is dependent on Social Security and her daughter works two jobs to pay tuition.

Maureen Ebel, 61, of West Chester, Pa., said she was “wiped out financially” and will now be working as a secretary “until the day I die just to survive.”

Said Tom Fitzmaurice, “He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor . . . He had no values.”

He accused Madoff of cheating his victims “so he and his wife, Ruth, could live a life of luxury beyond belief.”

Another victim, Michael Schwartz, said he hopes a jail cell will be the disgraced financier’s coffin.

Dominic Ambrosino, a retired prison officer, called the fraud an “indescribably heinous crime” and urged a long sentence so Madoff “will know he is imprisoned in much the same way he imprisoned us and others.”

“In a sense, I would like somebody in the court today to tell me how long is my sentence,” he added.

After the hearing, victims held a rally across the street in Foley Square, accusing the government of being slow to turn over money to victims.